Rail joint



Nov. 20, 1928.

c. K. FREER RAIL JOINT 4 Filed Oct. 11, 1927 ATTORNEY WITNESSES fiwmaw fmw Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFice.

CHARLES K. FREER, OF FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN.

RAIL JOINT.

Application filed Gctober 11, 1927. Serial No. 225,560

Other and more general objects of the invention are to provide a joint of extremely simple, practical construction which will be rugged, durable and efficient in use, and well suited to the requirements of economical manufacture and convenient installation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a joint in which two inexpensively formed identical members are utilized, said members cooperatively forming the joint.

lVith the above noted and other objects in view,the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims. The invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein v Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view through a railroad rail showing my improved joint in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a sectional 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring with particularity to the drawings I have used the reference numerals .10 to indicate a railroad rail provided with the usual flange 11.

The joint of the present invention consists of two cooperating interfitting, preferably identical parts. The two elements of the joint have been indicated by the reference numerals 12 and 13. They are in the nature of elongated members adapted for disposition side by side beneath and transversely to the two rail ends to be joined together. The rail flanges rest upon the flat tops of the members 12 and 13. Each joint member is provided at one end with an upstanding, inwardly presented, integral rail fiange-engag ing hook. These hooks have been numbered 14 and 15, respectively, and are disposed on opposite sides of the rails. Aligned bolt openings 16 are provided in the ends of the plan view on the line members 12 and 13, these bolt openings being of considerably greater width than the bolts 17 which pass therethrough in order that when the nuts 18 are tightened on the bolts, the members 12 and 13 may be free for relative longitudinal movement as well. as relative advance toward each other.

The two members 12 and 18 are provided with cooperating means whereby the hooks 14 and 15 are forced into clamping engage 'ment with the flange 11 as the nuts 18 are tightened to draw the members 12 and 13 toward each other. The means which I have illustrated consists of a socket or depression 19 on each of the joint members which co operates with a lug 20 on the opposite mem ber. The walls of the sockets, the lugs, or as in the illustrated example, the walls of both sockets audlugs arebevelled, so that as the .two elements of the joint are drawn toward each other, a cainming action occurs between the lugs and socket walls which causes relative longitudinal movement of the joint elements and effects forcing of the clamping hooks 14land 15 inwardly over the rail flanges.

Relative depression or relative vertica movement of the two joint elements is pre vented in part by the bolts 17, and in part by making the vertical dimensions of the lugs 20 and pockets 19 the same. This arrangement renders the assembled joints substantially self-sustaining, or renders the joint elements mutually self-sustaining against individual depression under the weight of rolling stock on one of the rails whichmay be coupled by the joint.

In this manner,the undesirable hammering at the rail ends is eliminated.

Obviously, various changes and alterations might be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from the invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the details set forth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rail joint including a pair of members for disposition under and transversely of rails to be joined, the tops of said members providing a seat for the bottoms of the rail flanges, rail-flange engaging hooks at opposite ends of the respective members, said members at their ends having transverse bolt holes therein through which bolts of smaller size than the openings are adapted to be passed to secure the members together, and means whereby the hooks are forced into clamping engagement with the rail flanges as the bolts are tightened to draw the two members toward each other.

2. A rail joint including a pair of members for disposition under and transversely of rails to be joined, the tops of said members providing a seat for the bottoms of the rail flangen rail-flange engaging hooks at opposite ends of the respective members, said members at their ends having transverse bolt holes therein through which bolts of smaller size than the openings are adapted to be passed to secure the members together, and means whereby the hooks are forced into clamping engagement with the rail flanges as the bolts are tightened to draw the two members toward each other, said means comprising interengaging cam surfaces on the members.

3. A rail joint including a pair of members for disposition under and transversely of rails to be oined, the tops of said members providing a seat for the bottoms of the rail flanges, rail-flange engaging books at opposite ends of the respective members, said members at their ends having transverse bolt holes therein through which bolts of smaller size than the openings are adapted to be passed to secure the members together, and means whereby the hooks are forced into clamping engagement with the rail flanges as the bolts are tightened to draw the two members toward each other, said means comprising bevelled lugs on the members working in sockets in the other member respectively.

a. A rail joint including a pair of members for disposition under and transversely of railsto be joined, the tops of said members providing a seat for the bottoms of the rail flanges, rail-flange engaging hooks at opposite ends of the respective members, said members at their ends having transverse bolt holes therein through which bolts of smaller size than the openings are adapted to be passed to secure the members together, and means whereby the hooks are forced into clamping engagement with the rail flanges as the bolts are tightened to draw the two members toward each other, said means comprising lugs on the adjacent faces of the members coacting with bevelled sockets in the opposite member.

5. A rail joint including a pair of members for disposition under and transversely of rails to be joined, the tops of said members providing a seat for the bottoms of the rail flanges, rail-flange engaging hooks at opposite ends of the respective members, said members attheir ends having transverse bolt holes therein through which bolts of smaller size than the openings are adapted to be passed to secure the members together, and means whereby the hooks are forced into clamping engagement with the rail flanges as the bolts are tightened to draw the two members toward each other, said means comprising interfitting bevelled lugs and sockets arranged on the adjacent faces of the members.

6. A joint as described in claim 1, and wherein the two members are identical.

7. A joint as set forth in claim 2, and wherein the members are substantially selfsustaining against relative vertical movement under the influence of a weight on one rail.

Signed at Mount Clemens, in the county of Macomb and State of Michigan, this 6th day of October, A. D. 1927.

CHARLES K. FREER. 

